Sinner Out of Six Kings Slam

The two-time champion has ended his 2026 season with a knee injury, and Riyadh now has a 20-year-old American in the field and an Australian waiting on scans.

Jannik Sinner will not defend his Six Kings Slam title, as the world No. 1 confirmed on Tuesday 6 October that his 2026 season is over because of a right knee problem.

This prompted the organisers to move quickly, naming American Learner Tien as his replacement for the Riyadh exhibition later this month.

It is a big hole to fill. Sinner has won both editions, beating Carlos Alcaraz in each final. For the full backstory on the format and past winners, our Six Kings Slam guide covers the lot.

Sinner's Knee Finally Forces His Hand

This has been building since July. Sinner has not played since beating Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final, and the knee had already cost him the US Open, Beijing and Shanghai among others. 

He had stayed on the Riyadh entry list, though.

That door is now shut. Sinner said he needed to think about his "long-term career", and the shutdown also rules him out of the ATP Finals in Turin, where he was the defending champion.

We expect organisers to feel this one since the Sinner vs Alcaraz rivalry has been the event's centrepiece, and a third straight final between them was the obvious selling point.

Learner Tien Gets the Call Up

Tien is 20, coached by Michael Chang, and already owns a career-high ranking of No. 12. He reached the Australian Open quarter-finals in January and has two ATP titles to his name, including Geneva this year.

He also knows the man he replaces: Tien met Sinner in the 2025 Beijing final, so this is not a wildcard pulled from nowhere.

Sinner had been drawn against Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals, with the winner to face Novak Djokovic, and Tien is expected to slot into that side of the draw.

Alex de Minaur's Fitness Is the Next Question

Australia's interest now sits with de Minaur, after he retired from the China Open final against Djokovic this week with a left adductor (groin) injury, trailing by a set, and said his plan was to get scans in Shanghai.

If those scans show anything significant, organisers may need a second replacement inside a week. Djokovic, meanwhile, arrives in form after his seventh Beijing title, the 102nd tour-level crown of his career.

Six Kings Slam 2026 Dates, Prize Money and How to Watch

Here is what has been confirmed so far:

• Venue: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of Riyadh Season
• Quarter-finals: Wednesday 21 October (Zverev vs Fritz, plus the former Sinner vs de Minaur match)
• Semi-finals: Thursday 22 October (Djokovic and Alcaraz enter here, after receiving byes based on Grand Slam titles)
• Final and third-place match: Saturday 24 October
• Prize money: a reported US6 million in total
• Broadcast: streamed live on Netflix, including in Australia, at no extra cost to subscribers

Session times have not been released yet. Previous editions were played in the Riyadh evening, which means early-morning starts on the east coast of Australia. AEDT times will be added once the order of play is out.

The seeding by major titles is why Djokovic, with a record 24 Grand Slam singles titles, skips the opening round, and with Sinner gone, Alcaraz now looks the man to beat in Riyadh.